ENGLISH NOTES
1. A Letter to God (G.L. Fuentes)
● The Setting: A house on the crest of a low hill, overlooking a field of ripe corn.
Lencho's entire livelihood depends on this harvest.
● The Turning Point: The "new coins" (raindrops) suddenly turn into "frozen
pearls" (hailstones). Within an hour, the field is white as if covered with salt.
Lencho’s soul is filled with sadness, but his "single hope" remains God.
● The Postmaster’s Transformation: Initially, he laughs. But then he becomes
serious, admiring Lencho’s "unshakable faith." He acts as a representative of
God on earth to ensure that faith is not broken.
● The Irony of the Ending: Lencho’s lack of worldly wisdom makes him suspect
the very people who saved him. He is a "simpleton" whose faith is pure but
whose judgment of humans is cynical.
2. Nelson Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
● The "Apartheid" Era: A system where the dark-skinned people of South Africa
were treated as aliens in their own land. Mandela spent 30 years in prison to end
this.
● The Policy of Apartheid: It created a "deep and lasting wound" in the country.
However, the decades of oppression also produced "men of extraordinary
courage" like Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu.
● Mandela’s Philosophy on Hate: He believes that people must learn to hate, and
if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more
naturally to the human heart.
● Freedom is Indivisible: He realized that the chains on any one of his people
were the chains on all of them.
3. Two Stories About Flying
Part I: His First Flight (Liam O’Flaherty)
● The Psychological Barrier: The seagull thinks his wings will never support him.
He watches his brothers and sisters fly, but his fear "seizes" his heart.
● The Mother’s Strategy: She knows hunger is a stronger motivator than fear. By
bringing food close but staying out of reach, she forces him to dive.
● The Climax: The moment he falls, he feels a "monstrous terror," but it lasts only
a minute. He realizes that the wind is rushing against his feathers—he is flying.
Part II: Black Aeroplane (Frederick Forsyth)
● The Setting: Flying an old Dakota (DS 088) from France to England. The
narrator is dreaming of a holiday and a full English breakfast.
● The Crisis: He enters a storm. Everything goes pitch black. The compass "turns
round and round," and the radio is dead.
● The Mystery: A pilot in a black plane (with no lights) waves at him. He follows
like an "obedient child." After landing, he finds there was no other plane on the
radar. Was it a hallucination or a miracle?
4. From the Diary of Anne Frank (Anne Frank)
● The Backdrop: Written during WWII while Anne’s family was in hiding in
Amsterdam.
● Anne’s Personality: She is highly introspective. She believes "paper has more
patience than people," meaning she can express her rawest thoughts to her diary
without being judged.
● The Relationship with Mr. Keesing: This serves as the "comic relief." Anne is a
"chatterbox" by nature. She argues that talking is a "student’s trait" and that she
inherited it from her mother, so she cannot be cured. Her wit eventually turns a
strict teacher into a friend.
5. Glimpses of India
I. A Baker from Goa (Lucio Rodrigues)
● Cultural Heritage: The Portuguese left, but the "makers of the loaves" remained.
The traditional "Bikers" furnace still exists
● The "Pader": He was a prestigious figure. He wore a "Kabai" (single-piece long
frock). Baking was a profitable profession; a "jackfruit-like" physical appearance
was proof of a baker's prosperity.
II. Coorg (Lokesh Abrol)
● Geography: Located midway between Mysore and Mangalore. It is the smallest
district of Karnataka.
● The People: Known for their hospitality and bravery. The Coorg Regiment is
one of the most decorated in the Indian Army. General Cariappa, the first Chief of
the Indian Army, was a Coorgi.
● Flora & Fauna: Brahmagiri hills, Kingfishers, Mahaseer (fish), and elephants.
III. Tea from Assam (Arup Kumar Datta)
● The Scenery: A "sea of tea bushes" stretching as far as the eye could see.
● The Legends:
○ Chinese: Leaves accidentally fell into the Emperor’s water, giving it a
delicious flavor.
○ Indian: A Buddhist monk cut his eyelids to stay awake; tea plants grew
from them and helped banish sleep.
6. Mijbil the Otter (Gavin Maxwell)
● The Setup: Maxwell’s dog died, and he felt too lonely. He decided to get an otter
from the Tigris marshes.
● Mijbil's Characteristics: He is like a mix of a chocolate brown mole and a small
dragon. He loves "water" and believes it should be kept in motion; he even learns
to turn on the bathroom tap.
● The Transport Crisis: To fly Mij, he had to be in a box. The air hostess, whom
Maxwell calls "the very queen of her kind," allows him to keep the otter on his
knee.
● Conclusion: The story explores the deep emotional attachment humans can
form with "wild" pets.
7. Madam Rides the Bus (Vallikkannan)
● Valli’s Motivation: She wants to experience the world beyond her village. She is
not a "dreamer"; she is a "planner." She saves every stray coin, resisting the
temptation to buy peppermints or go on the merry-go-round.
● The Journey: She is enchanted by the canal, palm trees, and mountains. She
acts with immense dignity, even snapping at the conductor who tries to help her.
● The Turning Point: The sight of the "lovable" cow lying dead, struck by a fast
vehicle. This is her first encounter with the harshness of reality. She returns home
a "changed" person, more mature and silent.
8. The Sermon at Benares (Betty Renshaw)
● The Buddha: Originally Prince Siddhartha, he left his palace at 25 after seeing a
sick man, an aged man, a funeral, and a monk. He sought enlightenment and
found it under a Peepal tree (the Bodhi Tree).
● The Core Message: Life is brief and combined with pain. Just as ripe fruits are in
danger of falling, or earthen vessels are destined to break, all living beings are in
danger of death.
● The Solution: One should not grieve. He who has drawn out the "arrow of
lamentation" and has become "composed" will obtain peace of mind.
9. The Proposal (Anton Chekhov)
● The Characters:
○ Lomov: A 35-year-old hypochondriac who wants a "quiet and regular life."
○ Natalya: An excellent housekeeper, not bad-looking, but extremely
quarrelsome.
○ Chubukov: A father who just wants his daughter off his hands.
● The Farce: It is a "One-Act Play." It mocks the Russian land-owning class. The
characters are so obsessed with "honor" and "property" (Oxen Meadows) that
they forget the purpose of the meeting (marriage).
● The Climax: Lomov faints. Natalya thinks he is dead. When he wakes up, they
are forced into an engagement. The play ends with a "shout" of argument,
suggesting their married life will be a constant battle.
FOOTPRINT WITHOUT FEET
1. A Triumph of Surgery (James Herriot)
● The Problem: Tricki, a small dog owned by the rich, overindulgent Mrs.
Pumphrey, becomes "bloated like a heated sausage." Mrs. Pumphrey pampers
him with cream cakes, chocolates, and even wine/cod-liver oil, thinking he is
malnourished.
● The Intervention: Mr. Herriot (the vet) realizes the only "surgery" Tricki needs is
a strict diet. He takes Tricki to his clinic, provides no food for two days (only
water), and lets him play with other dogs.
● The Transformation: Tricki regains his health through natural exercise and a
controlled diet. He transforms from a "silky little object" to a "lithe, hard-muscled
animal."
● The Irony: Mrs. Pumphrey believes Tricki's recovery is a "Triumph of Surgery"
(medical miracle), unaware that it was simply the absence of her "care" that
saved him.
2. The Thief’s Story (Ruskin Bond)
● The Characters: * Hari Singh: A 15-year-old experienced thief who changes his
name monthly.
○ Anil: A struggling, kind-hearted writer who trusts Hari blindly.
● The Conflict: Hari steals Anil’s money (600 rupees) and runs to the station.
However, his conscience, awakened by Anil’s kindness and the education Anil
promised him, stops him from boarding the train.
● The Resolution: Hari returns and slides the damp money back under the
mattress.
● Key Lesson: Education and trust can reform even a seasoned criminal. Anil
knows about the theft (the notes are damp), but he chooses to forgive Hari
silently, which is a greater punishment/lesson for Hari.
3. The Midnight Visitor (Robert Arthur)
● The Subversion of Tropes: Ausable is a secret agent, but he doesn't look like
one—he is fat and speaks with an accent. Fowler (a young writer) is disappointed
until he sees Ausable’s wit in action.
● The Plot: Max, a rival spy, enters Ausable's room with a pistol to steal reports on
missiles.
● The Deception: Ausable invents a story about a "non-existent balcony" outside
his window and claims the police are at the door. Panicked, Max jumps out the
window to the "balcony" and falls to his death (as they were on the 6th floor).
● Moral: Mental agility and presence of mind are more powerful than physical
weapons.
4. A Question of Trust (Victor Canning)
● The Irony of "Honor among thieves": Horace Danby is a "good and
respectable" citizen who robs one safe a year to buy rare books.
● The Encounter: While robbing Shotover Grange, he is caught by a young,
elegant woman in red whom he assumes is the owner’s wife. She tricks him into
opening the safe for her (claiming she forgot the code) in exchange for his
freedom.
● The Twist: The woman was actually another thief. Horace is arrested later
because his fingerprints were all over the safe. He now hates the phrase "honor
among thieves."
5. Footprints Without Feet (H.G. Wells)
● The Scientist: Griffin discovers a drug to make the human body invisible.
However, he is a "lawless person." He sets fire to his landlord's house and uses
his invisibility to steal and assault people.
● The Incidents: He steals clothes from a London store and food from a
restaurant. In Iping, he stays at Mrs. Hall’s inn. His eccentric behavior and "flying
furniture" (scaring the landlord) lead to the village constable, Mr. Jaffers, trying to
arrest him.
● The Message: Science without humanity or ethics turns a brilliant mind into a
"monster."
6. The Making of a Scientist (Robert W. Peterson)
● The Journey of Richard Ebright: His journey started with a simple
hobby—collecting butterflies. His mother encouraged him by buying him
telescopes, cameras, and the book "The Travels of Monarch X."
● The Scientific Breakthrough: Ebright discovered that the gold spots on a
Monarch pupa weren't just decorative; they produced a hormone necessary for
the butterfly's development.
● Qualities of a Scientist: The story highlights that a first-rate mind, curiosity, and
the "will to win for the right reasons" are the ingredients of a scientist.
7. The Necklace (Guy de Maupassant)
● The Protagonist: Matilda Loisel is beautiful but unhappy, born into a family of
clerks. She craves luxury.
● The Incident: To attend a ball, she borrows a "diamond" necklace from her friend
Mme Forestier. She loses it. To replace it, she and her husband borrow 36,000
francs, plunging them into 10 years of crushing poverty and hard labor.
● The Tragic Twist: After 10 years, Matilda looks old and haggard. She meets
Mme Forestier and confesses the truth. Forestier reveals that the original
necklace was fake (paste) and worth only 500 francs.
● Theme: The danger of vanity and the importance of being content with what one
has.
8. Bholi (K.A. Abbas)
● The Transformation: Sulekha (Bholi) is neglected due to her looks and
stammering. Her father, Ramlal, sends her to school only because the Tehsildar
insists.
● The Role of the Teacher: Her teacher is kind and encourages her, giving her the
confidence to speak.
● The Climax: During her wedding, the greedy groom Bishamber demands 5,000
rupees because of Bholi's pock-marked face. Bholi refuses to marry him,
throwing the garland into the fire
● Conclusion: She decides to serve her parents in their old age and teach in the
same school. She is no longer "Bholi" (the simpleton) but a confident woman.
9. The Book That Saved the Earth (Claire Boiko)
● Setting: 25th Century (looking back at the 20th century).
● Characters: Think-Tank (arrogant, "mighty" ruler of Mars) and his apprentice
Noodle.
● The Plot: Think-Tank plans to invade Earth. His crew lands in a library and thinks
books are "sandwiches." Later, they interpret "Nursery Rhymes" (Mother Goose)
literally.
● The Humorous Mistake: When they read "Humpty Dumpty," Think-Tank thinks
the picture of Humpty looks like him and concludes that Earthlings are planning
to capture Mars. He flees to Alpha Centauri.
● The Irony: A simple book of nursery rhymes saved the planet from a Martian
invasion.
POEMS
1. Dust of Snow – Robert Frost
This short poem shows how even small incidents can bring about a big change in mood.
The poet is in a gloomy and negative state of mind when a crow shakes some dust of
snow from a hemlock tree onto him. Although both crow and hemlock are often symbols
of sadness, here they surprisingly create a positive effect. The simple act lifts the poet’s
spirits, making him realize that his day, which seemed wasted in regret, has been saved
in part. The poem highlights how nature, even through ordinary elements, has the
power to heal, transform moods, and refresh our perspective.
2. Fire and Ice – Robert Frost
The poem discusses the possible ways the world could end, using two contrasting
elements of nature—fire and ice—as symbols. Fire represents intense desires,
passions, greed, and anger, while ice symbolizes hatred, indifference, and coldness of
heart. Frost suggests that either human desire (fire) or human hatred (ice) has the
capacity to destroy the world. Though short, the poem conveys a profound truth about
human emotions, teaching us the dangers of extremes and the destructive power of
both uncontrolled passion and hatred.
3. A Tiger in the Zoo – Leslie Norris
The poem contrasts the life of a tiger in the wild with that of one in captivity. In the zoo,
the tiger is caged, pacing in frustration, silent but filled with suppressed anger. His
natural instincts and majestic power are wasted behind bars. The poet then describes
how the tiger should ideally live in the wild—lurking in shadow, stalking prey, and
terrifying villages near the jungle. By showing this contrast, the poet emphasizes the
cruelty of caging wild animals. The poem becomes a voice against animal cruelty,
highlighting the need for freedom and respect for wildlife.
4. How to Tell Wild Animals – Carolyn Wells
This humorous poem gives playful descriptions of how to recognize different wild
animals, mixing exaggeration with fun. The Asian Lion is identified by its loud roar, the
Bengal Tiger by its beautifully patterned skin and the way it attacks its prey, and the
Leopard by its spots and ferocity. Other animals like the Bear, Crocodile, and Hyena are
also described in a comic manner. While the tone is light and entertaining, the poem
cleverly makes the reader aware of the characteristics of wild animals. The use of
humor prevents fear, making the descriptions memorable.
5. The Ball Poem – John Berryman
The poem begins with a boy losing his ball while playing near a water body. At first, this
seems trivial, but the poet uses it as a metaphor for the first loss a child experiences in
life. The boy is devastated, realizing that his ball cannot be retrieved. The ball
represents childhood innocence, possessions, and experiences that once gone, cannot
be brought back. Through this incident, the boy learns the reality of loss and
responsibility. The poem symbolizes the unavoidable process of growing up, teaching
us that material things may be lost, but one must accept and move on.
6. Amanda – Robin Klein
This poem depicts the relationship between Amanda, a young girl, and her parent, who
constantly scolds and instructs her. Amanda is told not to bite her nails, not to hunch her
shoulders, and to do tasks properly. In contrast, Amanda escapes into her imagination,
dreaming of being a mermaid swimming freely, an orphan roaming streets without
restrictions, or Rapunzel living peacefully in a tower. The poem highlights the clash
between a child’s need for freedom and the restrictions imposed by parents. It also
shows the importance of giving children space to grow and the harm that
over-instruction can cause.
7. The Trees – Adrienne Rich
This poem portrays trees as symbols of nature’s freedom. The poet describes how
trees, planted inside houses for decoration, are now trying to break free and return to
the forest. Their roots work hard to disengage from the floor, and branches push against
glass to escape confinement. The imagery suggests rebellion of nature against human
control. Meanwhile, the poet quietly sits in her room, feeling powerless, listening to the
struggle. By dawn, the trees have moved to their rightful place—the forest. The poem
symbolizes both ecological awareness and human longing for liberation.
8. Fog – Carl Sandburg
This short poem compares fog to a silent cat. The fog comes suddenly, sits quietly over
the harbor and city, and then moves on just as silently. The poet uses a metaphor,
describing the fog as a cat sitting on its haunches, watching, and then leaving. The
simplicity of the imagery makes the natural phenomenon vivid and easy to imagine. The
poem shows how fog, like a cat, is unpredictable, mysterious, and transient. It reflects
the beauty of nature’s quiet power.
The Tale of Custard the Dragon – Ogden Nash
Summary:The poem tells a humorous yet meaningful story about a little girl named
Belinda who lives in a white house with her pets—Ink the cat, Blink the mouse, Mustard
the dog, and Custard the dragon. Belinda is described as brave, while her pets consider
themselves fearless. Custard, however, is mocked by everyone because he always
cries for a “safe cage” and appears cowardly. One day, a pirate enters the house armed
with weapons. While all the supposedly brave characters run away in fear, Custard
faces the pirate bravely. He fights fiercely, breathes fire, and defeats the pirate, saving
everyone. After the danger passes, the others take credit for bravery, while Custard
modestly returns to asking for a safe cage.
Imagery and Symbolism:
Custard the dragon symbolizes people who are underestimated and judged based on
appearance rather than actions. Though he seems timid, he proves to be the bravest of
all when it truly matters. The pirate represents sudden danger or crisis, which reveals
the true nature of individuals. The contrast between words and actions is central to the
poem—those who brag about bravery run away, while the quiet and fearful one
becomes the hero.
Poetic Devices:
● Rhyme Scheme: AABB gives the poem a musical, comic tone.
● Alliteration: “Belinda lived in a little white house.”
● Imagery: Vivid images of the dragon breathing fire and the pirate’s weapons.
● Irony: Custard, considered cowardly, turns out to be the bravest.
● Humor: Exaggeration and playful descriptions make the poem entertaining.
Theme / Message:
The poem teaches that true courage is revealed through actions, not words.
External appearances can be misleading, and real bravery often lies hidden beneath
modesty and fear. The poem also gently mocks human tendency to boast and take false
credit.
For Anne Gregory – William Butler Yeats
Summary:
In this poem, the poet addresses a young girl named Anne Gregory. Anne believes that
people would love her only for her beautiful yellow hair. The poet disagrees and tells her
that true love is not based on physical beauty. He explains that external beauty is
temporary and superficial, whereas real love values inner qualities such as kindness,
honesty, and purity of soul. The poet ends by stating that only God can truly love a
person for what they are inside, without being influenced by physical appearance.
Imagery and Symbolism:
Anne’s “yellow hair” symbolizes physical beauty, which often attracts attention but does
not guarantee genuine love. The poet contrasts outer beauty with inner beauty,
emphasizing that the soul and character define a person’s true worth. The reference to
God symbolizes pure, unconditional love that goes beyond appearance.
Poetic Devices:
● Alliteration: “Yellow hair.”
● Metaphor: Hair represents physical beauty.
● Rhetorical Tone: Poet advises and corrects Anne’s belief.
● Contrast: Outer beauty vs inner beauty.
● Simple diction: Makes the poem philosophical yet easy to understand.
Theme / Message:
The poem conveys that true love is based on inner beauty, not physical
appearance. External beauty may attract people temporarily, but it is character and
purity of soul that create lasting relationships. The poet encourages valuing inner
qualities over superficial charm.